Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-01-17

10 make their homes by the run
ming streams and where the springs gushed
from every hillside. What springs, Ii is
related Of Jonathan DunnRl and David Low
ry. names held in great reverence in that
part of the country. that one day in 1875,
as they We're Surveying 4 line along the
ridge north of Mad river, Donnel got the
firSt sight Of the Croft spring and put down
a stick, saying. This il mine" and
then continuing east, Lowry got possession
of the Munich spring and surrounding
country in the same way, by putting down
a stick. Finally luwry's choice for his
own home WAS near the creek which was
named after his cnmrade, Donnel. who set
tied mile or more to the east, where he
brought his life to close with his own hand
while yet in his prime. Joanna remembers
the excitement and shock it produced among
those pioneer people, and bears testimony to
the high esteem he was held in for his many
good qualities. Lnwry'S corn-cracking mill
WAS among the tirSi in the county. The
saw mills were LowTy'S, DonnerS. LefferS,
Abram Smiths, and on the east fork near
the MIleTS were Rollers and GarSts, all of
which did a paying business in the eos,
SOS and 'I0'S. after which the stream be
came too feeble to furnish sufficient power.
The eastern branch of thi, creek ran a
very tnrtuous course among tlc hills, had \
pebbly bottom. and was well stocked with
fish at an early dav. the catching of which
WAS delightful recreation for the boys after
their hard farm labor. When the water
was clear they Speared them with gig,
Indian fashion. Game must have been
plenty on this stream and its vicini-
ty, favorite hunting ground for
Al. IA .lWs
weapon to shoot with was the bow and
arrow. Bushels of Indian darts. as the
boys used to call them. were gathered by
the plow-boys on the farms adjoining the
creek These Spear-heads if they could
speak could tell many tale of the wild
hunters stealthy tread and of his drawing
bead on the
Stag at eve. while drinking his ell
Where danced the moon on DOnuel'S rill.
4 glen between the Miller and EOerSole
quarter sections furnished retreat for
bears and some specimens were met with
between twenty and thirty-and helped
themselves in the cOTn-iield when in roast
ing-ear. Wolves were still plenty at this
date. Wright and Mitchell Lowry remem-
ber seeing in their boyhOod tlrckS of deer
like droveS of sheep. and such gangs Of
wild turkeys aS would make 4 hunters eyes
water
Among the early recolections of Joanna,
she remembers seeing the remainS OF 4
furnace where the Indians had made sugar.
and the hicks on the trees Were still visible.
Her father used the same camp. She re-
members the fatal house-raiSing accident
about the year 1911, at which the prOpriC-
tor. VIM Mckee, was killed. and her
brother, Peter, and several Others severely
injured il being three-fOurthS of mile
from their house. All were carried and
laid on the floor of her fathers house. The
raising was abandoned. and the open sod
ded space, still surrounded with woods. can
be seen to this day. When Joanna was a
child a tornado swept down several Ares of
timber near this spot, and the ground has
since been covered with good-sized wild
cherry, poplar. white and black walnut,
different timber from that not affected by
the storm There was yellow spring
near by, the water of which was carried off
in Jugs for medical use. A few rods south
another yellow spring broke out in 1920,
After SpOuting up to good height for a
time il subsidized. and remains to this day a
strong vein of chalybeate water. IL was a
curiosity. and when II became fashionable
to hold pcnicS il became a place of resort
for few years. Being difficult OF access
and the owner piping it to his house closed
It's use to the public. Those places are near
the west fork of Doanel's creek and on
lands now owned by the heirs of Moses
Trnmho.
In the way of school privileges Joanna
thinks she had about one year of schooling
all put together-firSt went to school
taught by Reuben Wallace, father of
Esquire Wallace and brothers of the New
Carlisle region. He taught and lived then
not far from the southwest corner of their
farm. Afterward she went term To
Esquire Layton. who taught IN cabin-at-
forwards the Funderburg school. near David
Lowry's. Mrs. John Leffel and Mr.. Meiyn
Layton went there at the same time, and,
with herself, are probably the only native
born residents of Clark county over So
When Joanna was 10 years old she went to
school at Boston and boarded with her uncle
and aunt, Joseph and Mary Keifer, during
the week They then lived in cabin on
the hill overlooking the prairie oottOm-the
old Indian cOrn-tield of the ShawueeS.
This lO-year-o!d girl helped her aunt even
ingS and mornings milk six cows and also
with the hOuSe-wnrk. The teacher of the
Boston school was an old Virginian who
had a habit OF flogging whole bench full.
in order. as he said. tu hit the right one
for certain" Between her fathers and
Boston she had to 20 through two miles of
forest. and on one trip she lost her way and
had to return to get her aGDtS help. She
learned to cross these woods by observing
peculiar trees one of which was large,
hollow one with an opening near the ground
the kind OF tree in which Smith boy
took shelter for night when lost in snow
storm while roaming the forest with the In
dians who had taken hlm pr,Soner-related
in Meetings. sketches. Boston, at this
time. 1916, had. As Joanna thinks. a couple
Of dozen houses, mostly cabins, and thought
they had aS good chance "a Springfield
for the county seat, and contended fiercely
for it in 1917.
At the water station on the |. u. IL. w
railroad Il view can be had of the site Of
this pioneer village and the Piqua of the
ShawneeS. where General CLARK with his
Kentucky troops fought the Indians, Au-
gust Sth. 1850. Sylvester Thomas, great
grandson of one of the participants in this
battle, lives short distance from this noted
locality. After this term her school days
were brought to close, except attending
one for learning 10 sew. a specimen of which
she has kept as a curiosity. She studied
grammar at home while at work. In her
eighteenth year she wnve the piece which
her mother traded in Dayton for a wedding
dress, and was married to John Miller,
August 23d. 1924, by Rev. {. Tuttle, who
was then teaching school at Bethel. Rev.
Tuttle became'a noted Baptist minister and
had a son who is also noted minister and
well advanced in years.
Frederick Miller, her husbands father
came with his family from BOtstOurt coun-
ty. Va, in ISIS, and bought quarter sec
ton that had cabin on it and thirty or
forty acres cleared; - per acre was paid.
Ii seems there vas more cleared land on
this farm than on any at that time in the
a. militia muster was held in
the bottOm-fieId early in the EOS. Anthony
Letfel being the captain. This man was
one of the Leffel brothers whose poSterity
became so numerous in Clark county. He
and Henry Miller came 10 Ohio in 1916.
Mr.. Leffel entered and started the farm
which was afterGard the home of David
Miller While Mr.. LeffeI lived there the
Indians had dozen or 80 of wigwamS. built
of bark a short distance west of their cabin.